The world of texting

LOL. JK. OMG. BRB. BTW. TTYL. BZ. If you have a hard time deciphering the before mentioned abbreviations it may just mean you're not accustomed to the world of texting. The English language has drastically been reduced to a series of short phrases and misspelled words to allow texters the freedom to use less space and to quickly send off a message in 2.4 seconds.

In the last year a large part of my communication on the phone has switched to texting. The recent phone I purchased reflects this decision. I now am outfitted with a QWERTY keyboard to make typing out text messages simpler and (hopefully) faster. I do, however, have mixed feelings over it all.

I enjoy the convenience of sending off a quick message that requires no follow-up, but then I sacrifice the relational aspect of being able to talk in person. And at times I almost avoid talking in person because it requires less effort on my part to just send off a quick text. The best way to get ahold and contact kids on my careload is through texting, but then I start to notice how my grammar starts to suffer after receiving and sending so many texts like "r u free 2 hang out 2moro?" I am simply baffled at how much kids have to say that requires them to send over 2,000 messages a day, but then when in person they cannot say more than a few full sentences.

Teenagers are immersed in a very technological and accessible culture (My Space, texting, ipods, etc). For my job I see the benefit of understanding and involving myself in it to some degree. My challenge then becomes how to react to the influence it has on their lives. It's not okay to dump your girlfriend or boyfriend over a text message. And so begins the teaching moment of how to end relationships well. Or it's not okay to threaten to beat someone up over My Space. I then get to talk about healthy conflict resolution. Many of our kids just don't know how to interact relationally because they've been hidden behind this veil of technology. It's very interesting watching the trends change.

And we know the trends have changed indeed, because Brian, my husband, has now turned into a texter...

G&P 2 U
(Grace and peace to you)

Take Time To Rest

There is a week and half to go before summer ceases to be known for many of us. And before this post turns into a cliche summary of the seasons of life, I do want to point out how the end of summer makes me feel: tired. The dreary weather outside and the hot temperatures in the office (because of a broken AC) definitely contribute to my lethargic state at the moment, but my tiredness goes beyond the here and now.

Resting is something very hard for us to do. Physical rest almost seems non-existent in a culture saturated with drive-thru Starbucks and a barrage of energy drinks that I coin "sleep in a cup". What's even worse, is we seem to applaud hard workers that work long hours and then wonder why their marriages fail or why their kids don't spend time with them.

In my work at TreeHouse I am often torn when it comes to the topic of the "correct" amount of time spent at my job. While we encourage healthy boundaries between personal life and work, I still find it hard sometimes to go home at the end of the day feeling like I didn't do enough. Staff that are able to meet 1:1 with a ton of kids are esteemed. Yet I know when I am physically, emotionally, or spiritually starved and exhausted I am no good to anyone.

So where is the balance? In my almost three years at TreeHouse I know it doesn't look like my fellow co-workers. I simply cannot survive on three-no hours of sleep on an overnight and still be any fun to kids, like some staff. Since getting married I have realized the even greater importance of not saying yes to another 1:1 at five 'o clock or agreeing to more hours on the weekend than I need to. In a way, marriage has created a better balance because I see more directly and quickly how my overworking can affect someone than just me. For awhile I had to let go that I was disappointing someone by not signing up for everything.

So as I prepare to enjoy my last weekend before our last summer TreeHouse trip, I plan to rest. I rec commend you do the same.

Over 100 bands and 4 mosh pits later...

I just returned from one of MN's largest Christian music festivals, Sonshine. We took 9 kids for 4 days of concerts ranging from alternative rock to hip hop to the extreme scream-o bands. I came back feeling old. Mainly because I don't enjoy participating in the sweaty mosh pit mess. I was intimidated of the crowd surfing-- especially after people nearly dropped on top of me. So I hung out from a distance and enjoyed the fresh air and space. One of our girls, Tessa, came back the first day shoeless and without half of her big toe nail--all from the glamour of the moshing. And yet, she went back for more--again and again--because she loved it so much.

It was great to take kids who do not label themselves as people who listen to "Christian music" or music with a positive message and watch them become fans of bands that preached the gospel during each of their songs.

On a personal note, I leave tonight for California to celebrate my ONE year anniversary!

Can I paint your nails?

I get asked this question every time I hang out with Tonya. Her endless supply of nail polish amazes me. Yesterday it was without fail, and before I knew it she was eagerly painting my nails bright pink at the local DQ. Usually her paint job is spotty and messy looking, but yesterday her attempt was semi-decent. However, it looks like I'm stuck in the 80s and, alas, the nail polish must come off. Tonya has even earned a reputation for being the Nail Polish Queen among my staff because Kristen, our summer intern, took one look at my nails and said, "You must have been hanging out with Tonya." So, if you're looking for a nail specialist and don't mind the occasional missed brush stroke over your finger, then let me know. I have the hook-up.

"The water levels are the highest they've been in years. It looks like you'll have some pretty exciting rapids to deal with." This was the explanation given to us by the rafting outfitter before we headed out on the Wolf River. I was already feeling cautious since Wisconsin had received an extreme amount of rain leading up to our trip, and this bit of news didn't bring about a huge sense of calm. In fact, just the day before my Wolf River trip, friends that were going with Brian to the Boundary Waters left Madison and were stuck in traffic for over an hour before they could get on Highway 94 due to flooding. Needless to say there was a lot of water in Wisconsin.

We took 11 kids and five staff white water rafting this year. The only setbacks (and they were minor) were a few wrong turns, a meltdown on the river the first day by one of our kids, and a pretty sweet leg wound from yours truly. It's amazing how God's hand of protection was on us the entire week.

I've developed a great passion for the outdoors and camping (thanks to my husband Brian) and I loved the opportunity to teach kids to share in that joy last week. There is something so simple and pure in sharing a conversation with a kid who has been shuffled from foster parent to foster parent while roasting marshmallows. Or staying up late with the girls in my tent to play cards.

Summers at TreeHouse offer little breaks or down time, but through all the chaos I see the most life change in kids.

Schools Out For Summer

Yesterday was the much anticipated day for every junior high and high school kid: the last day of school. And for those still in junior high an even better bonus: Valley Fair. Unfortunately yesterday also happened to be a pretty big thunderstorm day. When I was in middle school I remember my end of the year Valley Fair trip was also rainy. Those flimsy ponchos just don't keep you dry. My sympathies went out to all those kids.

Last night was also my turn to speak. We had a dirt theme because I was teaching on Jesus healing the blind man with dirt and spit. As a way to introduce the whole dirt theme I shared about my childhood and how I was a dirt eater. (see picture to the left). Thankfully I have outgrown my appetite for dirt.

On a personal note, I leave for the MS150 bike ride. The forecast shows rain. I'm not a big fan of riding in the rain so it should be interesting. We'll see how well my rain jacket repels water.

Gas Prices

While the cost of unleaded gas has not exceeded $4/gallon yet, I did pump $106 into my tank yesterday. The first time ever that I've seen it go over $100! I always like to play a game with any kids that are in my van at the time of my re-fueling called "Who can guess the gas price?" I'm proud to say my guess was the closest at $103. I don't have to worry about paying out of pocket for TreeHouse gas so I can enjoy the simple pleasures of games like this. Where as if I was fueling up my Civic, I would be cringing every time the price went up.

Thank you from the snowy tundra

It's snowing out right now. I heard the possibility of 4-10 inches of wet, heavy snow. My hopes of wearing flip-flops will have to wait a few more weeks. The only real thing I dread is brushing all the snow off of the TreeHouse van in a few hours when I leave for my one-to-one. Oh well...Such is life...

I was able to make my MPD year-end target just in time. So, THANK YOU for all of your encouragement, prayer, and financial contributions.

More recently, this last weekend we completed our Party Like A Rockstar all-nighter. That's right--over 14 hours of hanging out with kids and trying desperately to stay awake. We took 20 mostly junior high kids on the event. While the event was extremely fun and wild (2AM donut runs and a lot of energy drinks), I remember now why we only plan an all-nighter once a year: adults simply don't have the same capacity to stay awake like a 13 year-old does. I dropped kids off at sunrise and slept until close to sunset the same day, and I still feel like I'm recovering two days later.

If any of you out there can imagine yourself trying to stay awake at all night at an event like Part Like A Rockstar, I'm curious what your drink of choice would be to avoid sleep. Coffee? Energy drink? Mt. Dew? Go ahead, weigh in your thoughts. Until later, the National Sleep Foundation says 7-9 hours of sleep is recommended to feel well-rested.

Michelle

I'm back!

Wow...it's been awhile since I've blogged. I hope you haven't given up on me. So if only one person reads this--thank you!

TreeHouse's year-end is FAST approaching! Which means I have until the end of March to reach my target. Currently I am only $300 away from reaching my year-end goal. Would you please consider helping me reach my target?

The programs at TreeHouse are designed to provide a safe place for teens to work through life's issues. I am committed to developing long-term relationships with teens who believe they don't matter and have lost their sense of worth.
Rachel, 13, is 4 1/2 months pregnant. She'll turn 14 shortly after she gives birth. For months she kept her pregnancy a secret because she was too ashamed to tell anyone--including her mom and sister.

Jackie, 16, was raped last week. She was hoping to save herself for someone she cared about. In desperation after, she turned to cutting herself to release some of the pain. She comes to TreeHouse because she knows it's a safe place and people won't look down on her.

I am continually moved by what some of these kids endure. God is doing awesome things in our area. He is healing broken people and reminding them of an unconditional Love. Right now we are fully staffed and seeing new faces all the time! Your resources make a difference. I hope that some of you will feel led to get involved. If you would like to help me reach my target or partner on a monthly basis please contact the main office:
TreeHouse
5666 Lincoln Dr Suite 201
Edina, MN 55436

Blessings!

Michelle